Autonomy support physical education: history, design, methodology and analysis regarding motivation in teenage students

Abstract

In any area of education it is recognized how important is that students are motivated. But this requires teachers who motivate and actions that cause this state on students. The autonomy support may be the key to improve the motivation of learners, as well as an indicator to search for other improvements in the teaching-learning process. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential importance of supporting autonomy in students (both in learning and in the acquisition of habits) and exemplify the design, methodology and analysis to make possible to get the objectives. This will draw a sample of 758 high school students (347 men, 45.8%; 411 women, 54.2%) of the Region of Murcia, aged between 12 and 18 (M = 15.22, SD = 1.27). The instrument to be used is a questionnaire consisting of scales: Learning Climate Quetionarire (LCQ), Sport Motivation Scale (SMS), Intention to partake in leisure-time physical activity (Intention-PFTL), Sport Satisfaction Instrument to Physical Education (SSI-EF) and the scale of Importance and usefulness of Physical Education (IEF). Possible results may improve and discuss many of the existing work and provide further guidance to be used for teachers to improve their teaching performance.

Keywords

• autonomy support
• motivation
• physical education.